Leplaea cedrata
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64405f0d3229f637102512 |
| Scientific name | Leplaea cedrata |
| Authority | (A.Chev.) E.J.M.Koenen & J.J.de Wilde |
| First published in | Pl. Ecol. Evol. 145: 219 (2012) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Ethnobotanical Uses
Among West African peoples, infusions or decoctions of the leaves have been taken as a bitter febrifuge and to manage fevers, especially malaria; in the Ivory Coast’s Toumodi region healers recorded giving children a leaf tea to break fevers (Adjanohoun, 1986). Stem-bark decoctions are widely prepared for malaria and other “hot” conditions; in the Yoruba tradition of southwestern Nigeria, a decoction of the bark is drunk daily for several days during acute attacks (Iwu, 1993; Akerele, 1993), and it is also valued as a tonic after convalescence. In southeastern Nigeria’s Ngwa communities, the leaves are employed in poultices and washes for swollen joints, skin inflammations, and wound care (Okwu and Okwu, 2004). A macerated preparation of fresh stem bark in palm wine has been reported as a febrifuge among Baule peoples of Ivory Coast (Adjanohoun, 1986). These applications are explicitly documented for infusions, decoctions, macerations, and poultices.
Active constituents likely underpin these uses. Leaf and bark materials are known to contain limonoid triterpenoids such as anthothecol and azedarachin B, along with flavonoids and condensed tannins (Koné et al., 2004; Adebayo et al., 2013). In vitro assays with bark extracts have shown antibacterial activity relevant to wound care, and the traditional febrifuge use corresponds with documented limonoid antiplasmodial effects for related Guarea species (Koné et al., 2004).
One practical recipe is a mild leaf infusion used as a febrifuge. Combine 10 g of fresh leaves with 250 mL of recently boiled water and cover. Steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain and drink one cup two to three times daily while the fever persists. Traditional sources note that such preparations are generally bitter but tolerable; however, safety data are limited, and caution is advised for children, pregnant or breastfeeding people, and those taking antimalarials. If symptoms do not improve within 24–48 hours, seek medical attention.
Modern relevance remains strong. Recent Nigerian studies continue to confirm antimicrobial activity from the plant (Adebayo et al., 2020), and ethnopharmacological surveys in central Ivory Coast document ongoing use of both leaves and stem bark for fever and wound care (Koné et al., 2004). Today, small-scale practitioners still prepare the infusions and decoctions described above.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Leplaea cedrata is commercially marketed as “cedar mahogany” and traded as a hardwood lumber and veneer for furniture, interior joinery, flooring, and light construction.
Industrial and craft applications:
The wood is used in furniture making, paneling, and millwork; it also appears in small specialty turnery and carved items. It is suitable for veneer faces in commercial-grade plywood for interior components. The timber readily accepts finishes and adhesives common to fine woodworking.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No non-medicinal food or beverage uses are reported.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented use of the plant as a dye, tannin source, or natural colorant is found in referenced literature.
Wood and fiber:
Heartwood is typically reddish-brown to mahogany-colored; sapwood is paler. The wood machines, planes, turns, sands, and finishes well; it holds nails and screws securely and glues readily with standard woodworking adhesives. Moisture-related movement is reported as moderate. The wood is commonly used for furniture, interior doors, flooring, plywood, and selected millwork. Sapwood is sometimes utilized for lower-grade applications and fiberboard.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance, cosmetic, or flavoring applications are documented.
Properties relevant to use:
The timber is a medium-density hardwood with adequate stiffness and bending strength for interior structural uses, moderate dimensional movement, and good finishing characteristics typical of mahoganies.
Standards and regulation:
Use is subject to national timber grading and grading rules for hardwood lumber and plywood; export may be subject to CITES permits if listed and to wood-tracking requirements in importing countries.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Data on population status, supply volumes, and chain-of-custody are limited in available references; conservation assessments and trade surveys are advisable for responsible sourcing.
Sources:
ITTO (2023, 2024) market reviews for this species; Ghana Timber Association trade listings for “cedar mahogany”; CTFT (1989) descriptions of wood properties and utilization.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Khaya canaliculata | De Wild. | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 4: 377 (1914) |
| Trichilia cedrata | A.Chev. | Vég. Ut. Afr. Trop. Franç. 5: 214 (1909) |
| Guarea alatipetiolata | De Wild. | Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Sér. B 50: 71 (1930) |
| Khaya cunahailata | De Wild. | |
| Guarea cedrata | Pellegr. ex A.Chev. | Bull. Soc. Bot. France 75: 480 (1928) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | light bossé |
| English | light bossÈ |
| English | scented guarea |
| English | bosse |
| English | light guarea |
| English | nigerian pearwood |
| Japanese | ホワイトグアレア |
| Japanese | ボセ |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Uganda
-
West Tropical Africa
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cabinda
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Zaïre
-
East Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001333610 |
| Tropicos | 20400521 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:578559-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2833959 |
| IPNI | 578559-1 |
| iNaturalist | 193083 |
| GBIF | 3852934 |
| EPPO | GURCE |
| USDA GRIN | 401693 |
| Tropicos | 100384282 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77120943-1 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 5747842 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1671999 |
| IUCN Red List | 32233 |
| IPNI | 77120943-1 |
| iNaturalist | 880096 |
| GBIF | 8279917 |
| Freebase | /m/02x9f31 |
| Wikipedia | Guarea_cedrata |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1R,2S,7S,8S)-1,3-dimethyl-8-propan-2-yltricyclo[4.4.0.02,7]dec-3-ene | 92042749 | Click to see CC1=CCC2C3C1C2(CCC3C(C)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| (1R,4aR)-4,7-dimethyl-1-propan-2-yl-1,2,4a,5,6,8a-hexahydronaphthalene | 5315589 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| 1-Ethenyl-1,2-dimethyl-4-propan-2-ylidene-2-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohexane | 5317024 | Click to see | 218.38 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| 1,2,4a,5,6,8a-Hexahydro-4,7-dimethyl-1-(1-methylethyl)naphthalene | 101708 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| 2-Isopropenyl-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)-1-vinylcyclohexane | 6432312 | Click to see CC(=C1CCC(C(C1)C(=C)C)(C)C=C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| 4,12,12-Trimethyl-9-methylene-5-oxatricyclo(8.2.0.04,6)dodecane | 14350 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| 4,8,8-Trimethyl-9-methylidenedecahydro-1,4-methanoazulene | 289151 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| alpha-Cadinene, (+)- | 12306048 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| alpha-Muurolene | 12306047 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(=CCC2C(C)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| alpha-Ylangene | 101607926 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Caryophyllene | 5281515 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Caryophyllene oxide | 1742210 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| CID 16396350 | 16396350 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C3C1C(C2=C)CC3)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Copaene | 19725 | Click to see CC1=CCC2C3C1C2(CCC3C(C)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Cubenol | 11770062 | Click to see CC1CCC(C2C1(CCC(=C2)C)O)C(C)C | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| epi-alpha-Cadinol | 160799 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| gamma-Muurolene | 12313020 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(=C)CCC2C(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Humulene | 5281520 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Aromadendrane sesquiterpenoids / 5,10-cycloaromadendrane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1aR,4R,4aR,7R,7aS,7bS)-1,1,4,7-Tetramethyldecahydro-1H-cyclopropa[e]azulen-4-ol | 91746597 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| (1aR,4S,4aR,7aS,7bR)-1,1,4,7-tetramethyl-2,3,4a,5,6,7,7a,7b-octahydro-1aH-cyclopropa[e]azulen-4-ol | 137704583 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Alloaromadendren | 91746537 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Npc239037 | 101716 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| Viridiflorene | 10910653 | Click to see CC1CCC2=C(CCC3C(C12)C3(C)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Eudesmane, isoeudesmane or cycloeudesmane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| alpha-Eudesmol | 92762 | Click to see CC1=CCCC2(C1CC(CC2)C(C)(C)O)C | 222.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (2S)-2-[(3S,3aS,5aR,6S,7S,9bS)-6-(2-carboxyethyl)-3a,6,9b-trimethyl-7-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,5a,7,8-octahydrocyclopenta[a]naphthalen-3-yl]-6-methylhept-5-enoic acid | 101677485 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(C1CCC2(C1(CCC3C2=CCC(C3(C)CCC(=O)O)C(=C)C)C)C)C(=O)O)C | 470.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| (2S)-2-[(3S,3aS,5aS,6S,7S,9bS)-6-(3-methoxy-3-oxopropyl)-3a,6,9b-trimethyl-7-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,5a,7,8-octahydrocyclopenta[a]naphthalen-3-yl]-6-methylhept-5-enoic acid | 162894409 | Click to see | 484.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| 2-[6-(2-Carboxyethyl)-3a,6,9b-trimethyl-7-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,5a,7,8-octahydrocyclopenta[a]naphthalen-3-yl]-6-methylhept-5-enoic acid | 163015647 | Click to see | 470.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| 2-[6-(3-Methoxy-3-oxopropyl)-3a,6,9b-trimethyl-7-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,5a,7,8-octahydrocyclopenta[a]naphthalen-3-yl]-6-methylhept-5-enoic acid | 162894407 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(C1CCC2(C1(CCC3C2=CCC(C3(C)CCC(=O)OC)C(=C)C)C)C)C(=O)O)C | 484.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids / Limonoids | |||||
| [(3S,3aR,4R,5R,6R,7aS)-6-[(4S,5R,5aS,9aS)-4-acetyloxy-5,9a-dimethyl-2,7-dioxo-4,5a,6,9-tetrahydro-3H-pyrano[3,4-b]oxepin-5-yl]-5-formyloxy-3-(furan-3-yl)-7a-hydroxy-3a-methyl-7-methylidene-1-oxo-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-inden-4-yl] (2R)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoate | 163188908 | Click to see | 674.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| [6-(4-acetyloxy-5,9a-dimethyl-2,7-dioxo-4,5a,6,9-tetrahydro-3H-pyrano[3,4-b]oxepin-5-yl)-5-formyloxy-3-(furan-3-yl)-7a-hydroxy-3a-methyl-7-methylidene-1-oxo-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-inden-4-yl] 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoate | 162912768 | Click to see | 674.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1139/V80-294 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Tertiary alcohols | |||||
| Pentacyclo[4.2.0.02,5.03,8.04,7]oct-2-en-1-ol | 53436347 | Click to see | 118.13 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1995.9698502 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |